Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Art Basel 2008”?
Summary
Art Basel 2008 is a 2008 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in an edition of 475 at 18 x 24 inches and priced at $50. The source provides no description of the imagery, so details of the design are not documented here. Based on its title, the print is associated with the Art Basel art fair context of 2008. It is a first edition screen print at an accessible release price, consistent with Fairey's event and fair-related releases of the period.
Why It Matters
Art Basel 2008 belongs to Shepard Fairey's stream of event and art-fair related prints, tied by its title to the Art Basel context of 2008. The source carries no description of the imagery, so its significance rests mainly on its production facts and timing rather than documented content. As a screen print released in an edition of 475 at $50, it reflects Fairey's pattern of producing accessible, event-anchored editions during a period of intense activity and rising visibility. For collectors, such fair-tied releases can hold appeal as markers of specific moments and venues in the contemporary art calendar, and Art Basel in particular is a flagship event in the art world. Because the record is limited, claims about its message or visual concept should be made cautiously, and its place in the catalog is best understood as one of Fairey's many 2008 Obey Giant editions. Its collector interest derives from the artist's name, the modest edition size and the Art Basel association rather than from documented thematic depth.
Collector Perspective
Art Basel 2008 will interest collectors who pursue Fairey's event and art-fair related releases, and completists assembling his 2008 Obey Giant editions. The Art Basel association gives it a clear hook for those who collect around art-world venues and moments. With limited descriptive information available, buyers should evaluate it primarily on its production facts: a screen print, edition of 475, 18 x 24 inches, $50 release price. The moderate edition size makes it reasonably available, and the 18 x 24 inch format is easy to display. It fits alongside Fairey's other 2008 fair and event prints, serving collectors focused on documenting his prolific output during that year.
Historical Context
Art Basel 2008 dates to December 2008, placing it amid Fairey's most prolific and visible year, when his Obama imagery was reaching national prominence. Its title links it to the Art Basel fair context, situating it among his event and venue-tied releases. With no description in the source, its specific role is best framed cautiously: it is one of numerous 2008 Obey Giant screen prints Fairey issued at accessible price points. It sits within his Obama-era catalog of fair and event editions rather than his overt political or street-origin work, and is best understood as part of the broad volume of releases from that pivotal year.
FAQ
What are the edition details of Art Basel 2008?
Art Basel 2008 is a screen print in an edition of 475, measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in 2008 and priced at $50. These are the documented production facts; the source does not include a description of the imagery itself.
What does the print depict?
The source record provides no description of the imagery, so the specific design is not documented here. By its title the print is associated with the Art Basel art-fair context of 2008, but details of its visual content cannot be confirmed from the available information.
How available is this print?
It was released in an edition of 475, a moderate size for Fairey, at an accessible $50 release price. This suggests it was made reasonably available at release, though the source does not confirm current availability or whether it has sold out.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.